“I began documenting houses around Jersey City with no thought as to where it might lead me. I love architecture and it saddened me to see so many once-proud but modest 19th-century homes turned into architectural nightmares due to lack of funds, fast fixes, aluminum siding, and indifference to heritage and design. Once the pandemic hit the project took me in a new direction. It dawned on me that these homes were a perfect metaphor for what we were all going through physically and emotionally. “Home” traditionally represents both safety and community, something we are now denied. We now face forced isolation and as a result, we are experiencing feelings of being disconnected. Additionally, the political polarization and turmoil we are experiencing add another layer of separation.
In my images, I use color as spatial dividers. I intentionally “block” out the ubiquitous automobile, which further isolates. Technology and wires everywhere make communication a virtual rather than a real experience. The titles of each image further isolate us. In an effort to inspire hope for the future I do show a bit of the “real” in each image, you just have to look for it.”
